US Senate re-introduces PASTEUR Act

The US Senate has reintroduced the Pioneering Antimicrobial Subscriptions to End Up surging Resistance (PASTEUR) Act to spur innovative drug development targeting the most dangerous infections, as well as to improve the appropriate use of antibiotics, and ensure domestic availability of the drugs when needed.

“After witnessing the COVID-19 pandemic, it has never been more clear that we need to invest in research to prepare for the next public health crisis,” said US Senator Bennet. “Infectious disease experts are already sounding alarms, and they need resources to prepare for the threat that antimicrobial resistance infections pose. With our bipartisan PASTEUR Act, we have the chance to not only learn from the mistakes we have made up to this point, but to invest in tools to better prepare for the future.”

“Americans understand – now more than ever – that we must take every reasonable and responsible measure to prevent future public health crises. Antimicrobial resistance has become a growing crisis in recent years. Market failures have resulted in a lack of needed research and development in this field which is a threat to public health. That’s why I’m proud to reintroduce our Pioneering Antimicrobial Subscriptions to End Upsurging Resistance (PASTEUR) Act to incentivize development of new antibiotics. At the same time, the PASTEUR Act will focus on educating health care providers on how to avoid overuse or misuse of these life-saving medications in order to slow the emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens,” said Senator Young.

Read the one-page summary on PASTEUR Act here: https://www.bennet.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/4/b/4b47a465-62c8-425a-96c4-0b335c857fb0/EE07F7E3051917ECFD81F2FBBFD39147.pasteur-act-one-pager-061421.pdf